Wall switch



A118 20, 1940- R. l. xNNls 2,211,819

WALL SWITCH u Filed June 10, 1939 Patented Aug. 20, 1940 t I I 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALL SWITCH Robert I. Innis, Winthrop, Mass.

Application June 10, 1939, Serial No. 278,512

9 Claims. (Cl. 200--168) My invention relates to wall switches such as vided with threaded apertures at I8, I'8 to reare installed in homes, oilices and other places ceive two screws by means of which a face plate for controlling electric lighting circuits and the is secured to the bridge-bar I2 and held in posilike, and to ornamental cover attachments for tion against the surface of wall Il, the marginal the same. v portion of said face plate over-lying the part of 5 The invention has for its object to improve the the wall adjacent t0 the bOX |3- construction and appearance of electric switches In accordance with the present invention I pro- 0f the class indicated. vide a special face plate I1, Figs. 2 and 3, which It is a further object of this invention to prois made with two apertures I8a t0 resister With vide an improved wall switch of the type shown the apertures I3 0f bridge-bar |2- TheSe apel- 10 and described in my co-pending application iiled tures I8a accommodate screws II which are January 3, i938, Serial Number 183,081. screwed into the apertures I8 of bridge-bar I2 To these ends I have provided 'an improved wall to secure the face plate in position against the switch of the class described which may have wall. The face plate I1 iS Preferably molded the features of construction and operation set from sheet metal and bordered by a skirt I'Ia 15 forth in'the following description, the several which fits edgewise against the Wall. novel features of the invention being separately At its middle the face plate I'I is made with pointed out and deiined in the claims at the close an elongate aperture or slot 25 through which thereof. the push-buttons I5 and I5 move back and forth- In the accompanying drawing: y when the switch is operated.' At each side of 20 Figure 1 is a front elevation of a` wall switch slot 25 the flat middle portion or web of face plate mechanism constructed in accordance with this I1 is made with a, perpendicular apertured tang invention, the cover, hereinafter described, being 3| and between these two tangs is arranged a partly broken away. rocker member I9 shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. and 6, said rocker member being made from 25 Figure 3 is a front view of the face plate heresheet metal and comprising a pair of relatively inafter described. parallel apertured legs 32 which are pivotally con- Figure 4 is a top plan view of the rocker memnected with the tangs 3l by a pintle 20. The two ber hereinafter described. legs 32 are connected at their outer free ends by Figure 5's a side view of the rocker member a fiat intermediate portion 34 made at opposite 30 shown in Fig. 4. sides thereof with arms 33 each of which has its Figure 6 is a section on line 6--6 of Fig. 5. free end disposed opposite the outer end of one of Figure 7 is a side view of the spring clamp the push-buttons I5 or I5'. hereinafter described. The axis of pintle 2U is disposed transversely Figure 8 is an elevation showing another side with respect to slot 25 midway between the two 35 0f the Spring clamp shown in Fie. '1. push-buttons so that when the rocker I9 4is Figure 9 is a detail showing one of the couswung on the axis of pintle 20 in one direction Dling Studs hereinafter deSCribedpush-button I5 is forced inwardly and when Figure 10 is a side elevation of one of the swung on said axis in the opposite direction pushcoupling yokes hereinafter described. button I5' is forced inwardly, it being under- 40 Figure 11 is a section on line Il-II of Fig. 10. stood that switch mechanism within body In Figure 12-i11ustrats an alternative c0nstrucis constructed. as usual, so that when one but- 01011- ton is forced inwardly the other button is moved Figure 13 is a detail, on reduced scale, of the outwardly by said mechanism. link hereinafter described. With different switches of the push-button 45 A common form of wall switch comprises a type I find that the buttons thereof do not always DOICelaiIl body I0 equipped With a metal brldgeproject through or beyond the face plate exactly bar I2 which is fastened by screws at its oppositer the same distance. That is to say, the distance ends to a metal switch box I3, said box being inthe buttons project beyond the face plate of corporated within a wall I4. The body I0 condifferent switches often varies as much as one- 50 tains the make and break mechanism of the eighth of an inch and in order to provide for switch, as usual, and in Figs. 1 and 2 this mechthis variation I have found it desirable to provide anism'is operated by means of two push-buttons a resilient support for the rocker member I9 such I5 and I5', while in Fig. 12 it is operated by a as leaf springs 2I, Fig. 3, which are of sufficient 1nver I6. Ordinarily the bridge-bar I2 is prostiffness to ensure operation of the push-buttons 55 by the rocker member and yet suiciently resilient to permit the rocker member to t itself to the push-buttons whatever be the relation of the latter to the face plate I1. In the present instance, the leaf springs 2| are two resilient tangs produced by forming the web of the face plate I1 with angular slits 38 each of which opens into the slot 25 alongside of the tangs 3l and these rocker-supporting tangs are disposed one at each side of the lower push-button I5 and rocker I9.

Adjacent to its lower end the web of face plate I1 is formed'with a pair of perpendicular apertured tangs 3 5 between which is'tted thev hub portion of a hand lever 23 which is pivotally conn ected with said tangs by means of. a pintle 22, Fig. 2. This lever 23 is connected by a link 24 with the rocker'memberr I9 so that when said lever is swung on its fulcrum 22 it acts through the link to swing the rocker member on its pivot 20. It will be clear that -when handlever 23 is swung downwardly it will act through link 24 to swing rocker I9 downwardly also and cause the same to force the push-button I5 inwardly and this inward movement of push-button I5 is accompanied, as usual, by corresponding outlward movement of push-button I5. It will also be clear that when hand lever23 is swung upwardly into the position shown it will act through the link 24 to angularly adjust rocker I9 on its pivot 20 in a direction to force push-button I5 inwardly and push-button I5 outwardly.

As shown in Fig. 13 the link 24 is a bail-shaped member formed from wire and comprising an intermediate portion, two parallel side bars, one at each end of said intermediate portion and two inwardly bent trunnion portions 36 at the free ends of said side bars. The intermediate portion 21 of the link is pivot/ally mounted within slots 26 formed in the rocker member I9 while the trunnion portions 36 are pivotally mounted within the opposite ends of one of a series of holes or sockets 31 formed transversely through lever 23. The holes or sockets 31 are positioned at different distances from the pivot or fulcrum 22 so that the extent of movement imparted to link 24 by said lever may be regulated according to the instrumentality that is operated by the link.

The slots 26 ofrocker member I9, Figs-.4, 5

and 6, are formed partly in the legs 32 and partly in the intermediate portion 34 ofthe rocker member. This permits one end of the wire link to be threaded through the slots 26 until the intermedia-te portion 21 thereof occupies said slotsV without injurious distortion of the link. After thus connecting the link with the rocker member I9 the laterally and inwardly bent trunnion extremities 36'are sprung into the opposite end: of one of the holes31 of lever 23'.

For inclosing, shielding and concealing from view the above described switch mechanism I provide a cover 28 constructed with a skirt 30 whose chime fits edgewise against wall I4 throughout the circuit of said cover and outside of face plate I1. This construction also provides a chamber 29 that is occupied by rocker I9, link 24 and lever 23. j

Cover 28 is preferably a molded product produced from-any suitable material such, for example, as a phenolic-condensation product, hard rubber or the like and as herein shown said cover is provided upon its interior with a pair of spaced apart studs 39 for engagement with spring socket members 40 xed in position upon the outer side of lace plate I1, thereby to removably secure the cover in position against the Wall I4.

`anuncie Adjacent to its lower end the cover 28 is made with a slot 4I through which the handle portion of lever 23 projects to the exterior of the cover where it is accessible for manual operation. This slot is of sufficient length to permit of the necessary extent of movement of lever 23 and its opposite ends may serve as stops for said lever. 'Ihe portion of lever 23 within the cover 28 is made with arcuate lateral extensions or portions 42 at opposite sides thereof which serve at all times to close the slot 4I. The outermost faces of these extensions 42 are formed concentrically with respect to the fulcrum 22 and one or the other of said extensions is at all times in position to close the slot 4I.- s

Each spring socket member 40 is a spring metal yoke whose intermediate portion is formed with an aperture through which the shank of one of the screws II extends as shown in Figs. 10 and 1l. The arms of the yoke are bent inwardly somewhat around the head of the screw Il and their relatively parallel free end portions are formed with oppositely4 disposed apertures 43 which provide sockets for the reception of a ball-like head 44 provided on the stud 39 which cooperates with the spring socket member. Each stud element 39 has a shank portion xedly embedded within the material of cover 28 and in applying the cover to the switch mechanism the heads 440i the stud elements 39 are placed against the outer ends of the spring arms of the yokes 40 and then forced into position between said arms so that said heads occupy the socket apertures 43 as shown in Fig. 2. As will be clear the cover 28 may be removed when desired by pulling outwardly thereon. It will also be clear that the lever 23 is free to nter, or to be withdrawn from, the slot 4I as he cover is placed in position or removed. n

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 12 the switch isv constructed with an operating member I6 in the form of a lever and to this lever I apply a spring clamp 45 which is shown in detail in Figs. '1 and 8. This clamp consists of a yoke made from spring metal and comprises two lever-gripping arms 46 and 41, the former made with a transverse socket 48 to vreceive the Aintermediate portion 21 of the link 24, Fig. 13',\and'the latter being made near its free end and upon its inner side with a reentrant tooth 49. The intermediate portion 21 of link 24 is sprung into the socket 48 and then the spring clamp 45 is forced on to the lever I6into the position shown in Fig. 12 where it holds itself in position through the gripping action of the arms or jaws 46 and 41. The extremity of the jaw' 46, adjacent to socket 48, is also made with vaireeentrant tooth 60. When the spring clamp ris forced on to the lever`I6 the teeth 49 and 50 tremities 36 ofthe` link 24, Fig. 13, may be posipreferably do provide positive stops for limitingv the swinging movement of lever 23 thus avoiding undue strain-upon link 24 and rocker I9. The above described provision for adjustment of the connection between link 24 and lever 23 also provides for adaptation of the actuating mechanism to variations found in different models of wall switches of the same type.

The above described construction provides several desirable improvements upon the constructions illustrated and described in my co-pending application, referred to above, and also in my Patent No. 2.146.146 granted February '1. 1939.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a wall switch of the character described comprising a body adapted to be fixed within a cavity of the wall, an apertured face plate xed to said body whose marginal portion overlies the outer face of the wall adjacent to said cavity, and switch-operating mechanism projecting from said body through the aperture of said face plate to the exterior thereof, of mechanism for actuating said switch-operating mechanism including a lever fulcrurned directly on said face plate, a hollow cover having an outer parts-concealing wall made with an aperture and also made with a skirt which entirely surrounds said face plate with its chime adjacent to said wall, and means by which said cover is attached to said face plate, said cover enclosing and entirely concealing said switch-operating mechanism, said cover-attaching means and all of said actuating mechanism with the exception of a portion of said lever which extends through the aperture of the cover to the exterior thereof where it is accessible for manual operation.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lever is made with arcuate lateral extensions projecting from opposite sides thereof which are within said cover and concentric with the fulcrum of said lever so as to serve as closures for the unoccupied portion-of said aperture when the lever occupies a position at the limit of its movement` in either direction.

3. The combination of claim i. wherein the means for attaching the parts-concealing cover element to the face plate element consists of studs on one of said elements and spring sockets on the other of said elements which separably grip said studs to hold said cover element in position and which are engaged with and disengaged from said studs by bodily movement of said cover element toward and from the wall.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the means for attaching the parts-concealing cover element to the face. plate element Consists of studs on one of said elements each of which is made with a head, and spring sockets on the other of said elements each of which comprises a pair of apertured resilient jaws which separably grip and interlock with the heads of said studs to hold said cover element in position, said studs and sockets being engaged and disengaged by bodily movement of said cover element toward and from the wall.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the apertured face plate is xed to said body by the usual pair of screws, and wherein the means for attaching the parts-concealing cover element to said face plate element consists of studs partly embedded within the material of the cover element and projecting therefrom upon the interior of the latter, and spring sockets fastened in position upon the outer side of said face plate by said screws, each socket comprising a pair of resilient jaws for separably gripping and holding one of said studs, and said studs and sockets being engaged and disengaged by bodily movement of said cover element toward and from theI Wall.

6. 'I'he combination of claim 1 wherein the switch-operating mechanism projecting outwardly from the switch body consists of a pair of pushbuttons; wherein said actuating mechanism includes a rocker member for operating said pushbuttons, said rocker member being pivotally mounted upon the free ends of a pair of resilient tangs forming integral parts of said face plate, and wherein a link is provided by which sait rocker member is'connected with the lever of claim 1. v

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the switch-operating mechanism projecting outwardly from the switch body consists of a pair of push-buttons; wherein said actuating mechanism includes a rocker member for operating said push-buttons, wherein said face plate is made with a pair of slits opening into the aperture of said plate whereby to provide a pair ci leaf springs by which said rocker member is pivotally and resiliently supported, and whereiia link is provided by which said rocker member is connected with the lever of claim l.

8. The combination of claim l wherein the switch-operating mechanism projecting outwardly from the switch body consists of a lever arm; wherein a U-shaped spring clamp is provided which embraces and grips said lever arm with its intermediate portion opposite the outer end of the latter, said spring clamp being made with a transverse socket, and wherein a bailshaped link is provided by which said spring clamp is connected with the lever of claim 1, the intermediate portion of said link occupying said socket, and its two opposite side portions being pivotally connected at their extremities with the lever of claim 1.

9. The combination of claim l wherein the lever of said actuating mechanism is made upon each side thereof with a plurality of sockets disposed at different distances from the fulcrum of said lever and wherein said actuating mechanism also comprises a bail-shaped link through which said lever acts to actuate said switch-operating mechanism, the extremities of the opposite side portions of said link embracing said lever and being made with laterally extending trunnions occupying sockets at opposite sides of said lever.

ROBERT I. INNIS. 

